Last Saturday I stopped in to the local model railroad club to say hello to a friend. As we were sitting there watching the (model) trains go by the subject turned to rolling stock. We were watching some modern equipment roll by on the layout and the remark was made about how long modern equipment can be. The friend said that some modern types were too long to negotiate certain curves on his home layout. I mentioned that my modeling goals were centered around the late nineteen forties steam to diesel transition era. This choice gave me the leeway to model thirty-eight foot boxcars and refrigerator cars. I could include outside wood braced boxcars in regular service. The hopper types were twin bay cars of thirty-four foot length. I confessed I had to fudge a little bit to allow “Ike” type wood rack cars due to their later manufacture, but that is another story. Getting back to current model railroading. Today’s modeler will often get some very colorful high horse-powered locomotives and likewise colorful rail cars. To each their own. I appreciate what I see being used and often find it interesting even if I have no plans to utilize the same at home. As someone paraphrased, “Model railroad variety is the spice of life”! I hope readers will leave a comment or more about their own preferences and why they like it. See you along the right of way. Omscaler
